Customers at a California doughnut shop line up early every morning to buy out the store so the owner can spend time with his sick wife

Donut City owners John and Stella Chhan have owned their shop in Seal Beach, California, for three decades.

But when customers learned that Stella Chhan, 63, suffered an aneurysm in September, they wanted to help John Chhan, 62, spend more time with his wife instead of serving them.

So they now line up early every morning and buy doughnuts by the dozens to help sell out the shop.

Customers at a California doughnut shop are buying doughnuts by the dozens so the store's owner can spend more time with his ailing wife.

For the last three decades, Donut City owners John and Stella Chhan have owned their shop in Seal Beach, California.

But when customers learned that Stella Chann, 63, suffered an aneurysm in September, they wanted to help John Chhan, 62, spend more time with his wife, according to NBC News.

So each day, customers line up early and buy doughnuts by the dozens so John Chhan can close the shop early and visit his wife, who is convalescing at a rehabilitation center.

"People can just do a simple thing for their neighbors," regular customer Dawn Caviola told NBC News. "There are people who don't even eat sugar who are buying doughnuts from Mr. Chhan and giving them out to strangers."

John Chhan needs the money from the doughnut shop, so he works each morning until the doughnuts sell out before heading to the rehab center.

For the past 28 years, the Chhans and their baker have arrived at the doughnut shop every day at 2 a.m. to make their doughnuts.

The shop opens at 4:30 a.m., seven days a week. Normally, they sell out around noon, two hours before the 2 p.m. closing time.